Background: In light of severe and growing shortages of clean water and the rising environmental pollution in many countries, seawater desalination has been an effective method to produce freshwater. Cationic membranes have enabled environmental scientists to effectively remove TOXIC heavy METALs from wastewater and to regenerate freshwater. Methods: We used a novel method, involving electro-and physico-chemical membranes to successfully remove TOXIC heavy METAL IONS (copper & chromium) from wastewater samples. Specifically, Fourier-transform infrared spectroscopy, field emission scanning electron microscopy, surface wettability, flux, selectivity and electrical resistance measurements were applied to conduct this study. Results: The obtained results illustrated relatively uniform foaming of the modified membranes. Also, electron microscopic images indicated almost even distribution of the particles. The dada indicated that applying polydopamine layer and incorporating nanofibers in monomer solution caused surface hydrophilic enhancement. Also, increased carbon nanofibers loading ratio to 0. 07% raised the ionic flux. The data also showed a higher capacity in the modified membranes for the removal of copper and chromium IONS from the wastewater samples. Although the surface modified membranes displayed a higher flux and lower permselectivity to some extents, utilizing nanoparticles led to a steady trend of ion elimination. Generally, carbon nanofibers incorporation to the membrane surface modified samples up to 0. 1% weight, resulting in nearly a constant areal electrical resistance. Conclusion: The novel method developed by this study is an excellent candidate with high potential for the removal of TOXIC heavy METAL IONS from wastewater samples.

A new synthetic membrane has been synthesized by direct radiation grafting of acrylonitrile and vinyl acetate in a binary monomers mixture onto low density polyethylene and isotactic polypropylene films . The effect of grafting conditIONS, such as comonomer composition and concentration on the grafting process, was determined . The graft copolymers, thus obtained, have been chemically treated to improve their ion-exchange and hydrophilic properties. To explore the applicability of the prepared membranes, their sorption capacity and selectivity towards different METAL IONS such as Cu, Co, Fe, Pb, Sr, Cd and Li were investigated . The degree of grafting had a considerable influence on the METAL uptake of these membranes and it increased with graft yield. The prepared membranes have great affinity toward Fe 3+ If compared with other METAL IONS investigated . For a mixture of METAL IONS such as Cu 2+ , Sr2+ and Pb2+ these membranes show ability to chelate these IONS from their mixtures in the order of Cue* > Sr 2+ > Pb2+ . But for a mixture of Co2+ , Cd 2+ and Li+ the selectivity was in the order of Co2+ > Cd2+ >Li+.